Dragon Age: Inquisition Pre-Release Thread

[oljebox]

Why don't I want to play a cowardly peddler whose sole redeeming skill is his ability to appraise jewelry to the copper? Why don't I want to play an aging prostitute whose web of personal connections are her only defense in the slums? Why don't I want to play a pampered noble's son who sucks at everything, but who has the benefit of riches, social status, and his father's protection?

I would love to see a party made up of these characters. Not necessarily a videogame story, it can also be a book about these people. It's like the world's most pathetic fantasy party yet they manage to overcome the odds and maybe even become better people during the journey. Character development ahoy!

Okay. You asked for it. Coming 2014.

 

[Random]

What I'd like to see is more fantasy settings with magic fully implemented into society and life, rather than trying to create a medieval-type world where everything is just like the dark ages EXCEPT THERE'S MAGIC GUYS!

I know this is asking a lot from a company like Bioware and a series like Dragon Age, which revels in taking standard fantasy tropes and adding grit and grime to them and presenting them as NEW and ORIGINAL SETTING DO NOT STEAL.

 

[racofer]

"I find myself agreeing with Volourn. Something isn't right here..."

r00fles!

 

[Stainless Veteran]

What I'd like to see is more fantasy settings with magic fully implemented into society and life, rather than trying to create a medieval-type world where everything is just like the dark ages EXCEPT THERE'S MAGIC GUYS!

I know this is asking a lot from a company like Bioware and a series like Dragon Age, which revels in taking standard fantasy tropes and adding grit and grime to them and presenting them as NEW and ORIGINAL SETTING DO NOT STEAL.

Wat. Very few settings can be called "medieval-type world where everything is just like the dark ages". Even Witcher isn't, and Sapkowski tried to incorporate medieval feel into his works. Medieval is not "LOL PPL W/ SORDS ALSO NO ELECTRCTY OR PLUMBING".
Main factors, which defined medieval period are arguably:
* strictly defined estates of the realm, belonging to said estate is determined by parents' status, and usually can't be changed (so social mobility in modern sense of this word is practically non-existant);
* monotheistic religions, heresies of said religions, holy wars between them;
* gender inequality;
* feudal fragmentation (not always present, but it was prevalent);
* epidemics of various contagious diseases;
* slow long-distance communication (mail and oral messages was delivered either by trusted servants, or in case of lower estates, by pilgrims, traders and so on);
* unreliable news and rumors, because of aforementioned point;
etc, etc.
If we take DnD settings, then none of them are really qualified to be called "medieval". Not Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance, which are arguably closer to term "medieval", but still quite different (and shitty). And of course not Planescape, or Dark Sun, or Spelljammer. Ravenloft though has somewhat medieval feel, but only in some aspects.

If someone wants that "novel" idea of magic as technology, then one can look at Eberron as an example (or WoW, lol). I really don't think that that idea automatically improves settings.

 

[Akratus]

I've actually read that apparantly there was quite a bit of equality in the days of yore. Because there was a lot of hard manual labor to be done, and manpower was scarcer. So the women were put to that work just as much as the men in medieval times. The rest is all true of course.

 

[Grunker]

fighters are only fighters if they can do nothing but auto-attack

ok

 

[Random]

What I'd like to see is more fantasy settings with magic fully implemented into society and life, rather than trying to create a medieval-type world where everything is just like the dark ages EXCEPT THERE'S MAGIC GUYS!

I know this is asking a lot from a company like Bioware and a series like Dragon Age, which revels in taking standard fantasy tropes and adding grit and grime to them and presenting them as NEW and ORIGINAL SETTING DO NOT STEAL.

Wat. Very few settings can be called "medieval-type world where everything is just like the dark ages". Even Witcher isn't, and Sapkowski tried to incorporate medieval feel into his works. Medieval is not "LOL PPL W/ SORDS ALSO NO ELECTRCTY OR PLUMBING".
Main factors, which defined medieval period are arguably:
* strictly defined estates of the realm, belonging to said estate is determined by parents' status, and usually can't be changed (so social mobility in modern sense of this word is practically non-existant);
* monotheistic religions, heresies of said religions, holy wars between them;
* gender inequality;
* feudal fragmentation (not always present, but it was prevalent);
* epidemics of various contagious diseases;
* slow long-distance communication (mail and oral messages was delivered either by trusted servants, or in case of lower estates, by pilgrims, traders and so on);
* unreliable news and rumors, because of aforementioned point;
etc, etc.
If we take DnD settings, then none of them are really qualified to be called "medieval". Not Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance, which are arguably closer to term "medieval", but still quite different (and shitty). And of course not Planescape, or Dark Sun, or Spelljammer. Ravenloft though has somewhat medieval feel, but only in some aspects.

If someone wants that "novel" idea of magic as technology, then one can look at Eberron as an example (or WoW, lol). I really don't think that that idea automatically improves settings.

Holy shit dude, I know what the medieval era was like. Stop with the fucking history 101 lecture. Would you rather I said "antiquity" or "unspecified past sometime before 1800"? As if that would somehow be more accurate to the intended attributes and tone of the primary DnD setting, Dragon Age, and what the fuck ever you want to bring up? Because right now you're being a semantic fuckhead and it's obnoxious.

And furthermore, I wasn't claiming it improved settings (because everything can either improve or weaken a setting based on how its implemented), I said I'd like to see it as a personal curiosity. For fuck's sake.

 

[Stainless Veteran]

I've actually read that apparantly there was quite a bit of equality in the days of yore. Because there was a lot of hard manual labor to be done, and manpower was scarcer. So the women were put to that work just as much as the men in medieval times. The rest is all true of course.

In terms of work and in commoner and merchant estates - sure. In terms of legal rights - not as much, if we aren't talking about widows, who (while unmarried) had a greater degree of independence. But it really differed from country to country and in various centuries. I mean, here in Russia latest archaeological excavations uncovered that many commoners from Novgorod could write, women among them, and writings of said woman tells us that they weren't as subservient to men as it was thought before. This is totally off-topic, of course, so I won't go into details.

Holy shit dude, I know what the medieval era was like. Stop with the fucking history 101 lecture. Would you rather I said "antiquity" or "unspecified past sometime before 1800"?

I'll just point that if you consider the terms "dark ages", "medieval", "antiquity" and "unspecified past sometime before 1800" synonyms, then you really need that History 101.

As if that would somehow be more accurate to the intended attributes and tone of the primary DnD setting, Dragon Age, and what the fuck ever you want to bring up? Because right now you're being a semantic fuckhead and it's obnoxious.

I wanted to point, my dear ignoramus, that your whine about that there are not enough "magic as technology" settings, and too much "medieval-type world where everything is just like the dark ages" setting is retarded, because we don't really have proper medieval settings in RPGs (other than Darklands, and even it had taken many liberties with medieval period, but that's to be expected).

 

[Random]

I'll just point that if you consider the terms "dark ages", "medieval", "antiquity" and "unspecified past sometime before 1800" synonyms, then you really need that History 101.

Jesus fucking Christ, here we go again. You protest to me using medieval as a descriptor for generic fantasy settings like Dragon Age, then you go and do this when I offer more technically accurate ones. I'm sorry that I didn't put on my big boy academic boots when I made that first post, I assumed I was on the internet where getting too big dicked about semantics was fucking obnoxious. Now that I think about it, I guess that's par for normal on the Codex. Now can you please shut the fuck up about it? This topic isn't about the validity of saying some fantasy settings are medieval or not.

I wanted to point, my dear ignoramus, that your whine about that there are not enough "magic as technology" settings, and too much "medieval-type world where everything is just like the dark ages" setting is retarded, because we don't really have proper medieval settings in RPGs (other than Darklands, and even it had taken many liberties with medieval period, but that's to be expected).

Okay, first of all, I wasn't whining, secondly, I never said there weren't enough - I just want to see more, and maybe one from Bioware if they care enough to try and change their lineup. I also never said that there were too many medieval type worlds, for fuck's sake. And on top of that, I never said that magic had to be some kind of technology. This was an opinion, not some kind of gaming journalism editorial. You can misrepresent it all you want to make it seem like I was making some kind of extraordinary claim, but you're just doing yourself a disservice. Oh, and you're a pedantic asshole.

 

[Dreaad]

'What is a medieval RPG: The Discussion' Brought to you by Stainless Veteran

 

[Stainless Veteran]

'What is a medieval RPG: The Discussion' Brought to you by Stainless Veteran

 

[meanwhileInPoland]

30minutes of leaked gameplay in better quality than last ones. if you can withstand more bioware than last 7 minutes are kind of interesting and focused on your in-game stronghold.

anyway pillars of eternity or DA:I? which is better housekeeping simulator and why?

 

[Akratus]

So now every rpg's gonna be a skyrim clone. Well I'd say that's too bad but if it's gonna be shit either way I'd rather have that freedom of movement than not.

Well it's not a skyrim clone of course, but they ape a lot of it. All games need to be open world now. And look at the compass. Also dragons. Because HYPE!

 

[Roguey]

It's not open world.

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

Doesn't matter, will be shit anyways.

 

[Dreaad]

God I hate floating damage numbers.

 

[Commissar Draco]

There's No Rollin'' in Skyrim and The Setting plagiarizes Twicher and WHFB moar, but game will be shit so this is the moot point.

 

[Dreaad]

There's No Rollin'' in Skyrim and The Setting plagiarizes Twicher and WHFB moar, but game will be shit so this is the moot point.

Luckily they all have an open world, so that you can roll, jump and pirouette through the wilderness. Unfortunately you cannot do all three in one game. For all your jumping needs buy skyrim, want to roll? DA: I is for you, as for the homo pirouettes.... geralt the 'wolf' has all your ballet needs.

 

[Commissar Draco]

I wanted to point, my dear ignoramus, that your whine about that there are not enough "magic as technology" settings, and too much "medieval-type world where everything is just like the dark ages" setting is retarded, because we don't really have proper medieval settings in RPGs (other than Darklands, and even it had taken many liberties with medieval period, but that's to be expected).

Dark Eye ablest did the Politics and Monetery system right and there is always WHFB although most of its countries are not medieval (except Bretonia) but early modern/Renaissance.

 

[Stainless Veteran]

Dark Eye ablest did the Politics and Monetery system right and there is always WHFB although most of its countries are not medieval (except Bretonia) but early modern/Renaissance.

Yes, of course, but Das Schwarze Auge heavily mixed medieval concepts with more contemporary fantasy tropes. And while I totally agree about WH:FB being a closest to late medieval — early Renaissance in both feel and main points (well, on humans' side anyway), I was talking about CRPGs specifically. Sadly, there are no computer RPGs made in that setting, as you well know.

Now, if someone would have made a CRPG based on WH:FB, or Mordheim...


Fixed, courtesy of Storyfag.

 

[Storyfag]

Now, if someone would have made an RPG based on WH:FB, or Mordheim...

Since you make the distinction between CRPGs and RPGs in that very post yourself, I'll bite: There is an RPG based on WH:FB. It's called Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

 

[Borelli]

00:08 -"bigger than all of Dragon Age 2" lol everything is bigger than DA2
This has probably been talked to death so i will just say my opinion on it - wheel dialogue = crap.
Isometric controls with controller look INCREDIBLY painful, boy am i glad i'm gonna play this with a mouse the way it is supposed to.
I don't mind action combat but i feel they are betraying the "spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate" thing they had going on with the DA1.
Anyway this will be better than DA2 so i will most likely play it. I'm interested to see where will they go with the story.

 

[The Bishop]

So it turns out the way Bioware intended to reconcile DA:O fans and DA2 fans was to give them Mass Effect with swords. Makes sense I guess...

 

[Commissar Draco]

Codex Hated Skyrim and everybody played it at least 7 times (mainly thanks to Mods) so if the story won't go full Gaydar and gameplay won't be broken the way Oblivion was then yes why not? It should be better than Demonicon after all.

 

[Roguey]

00:08 -"bigger than all of Dragon Age 2" lol everything is bigger than DA2

Not Shadowrun Returns.